Resonance
by Chibiscuit
Summary: Sometimes a bond can be difficult to recognize let alone to put into words. But that didn't mean it wasn't there. Janja and Kion are both aware of their unusual relationship, even if they can't quite pin down what exactly it is that draws them together time and time again. Or maybe, deep down, they do.
1. Janja

**I am absolutely in love with The Lion Guard and I can't help but find the link between Janja and Kion to be immensely interesting and intriguing. And I find it difficult to put into exact words what I think about it but consider this an attempt of sorts.  
**

 **Remember: I own nothing! ...I wish I owned Lion Guard plushies though...  
**

* * *

" _Sometimes I think the Lion Guard doesn't really like us."_ Chungu had said. Janja didn't agree with that. Not really.

Well maybe they didn't like them but they most certainly didn't hate them either. Not really anyway. Otherwise, Janja was pretty sure they wouldn't be able to get away as unscathed as they usually did. Usually that is. That time the Guard had just left them in their volcano floating around on lava was the exception. Or that time they let the crocodiles chase them away. Or when they hadn't warned them Kion was going to use his roar and throw boulders everywhere…

Okay, maybe the Guard didn't really _like_ them.

Still, they weren't mortal enemies either. At least Kion didn't consider him – them, _them_ \- as such. After all, Janja knew that the leader of the Lion Guard was far from stupid. In fact he was rather intelligent and dominant and had good leadership qualities. Not that Janja would ever admit to that out loud. Ever. He'd sooner eat his own tail. And he loved to eat but not even Chungu would do THAT. Probably. Whatever, point is that Kion is more than capable of getting rid of a threat for good. And Janja knew he himself was more than capable to take out the Guard for good as well. If they had wanted to either one of them could've easily taken out the other.

If they had really wanted to, that is.

Janja could've snuck into the Pridelands at night and taken care of Kion then, for example. Or he could've made that rockslide land on the Guard instead of just trapping them. It would've actually taken less effort to that. But he hadn't. And he wasn't really planning on eating that cheetah or that insane honey badger. He couldn't vouch for Chungu and Cheezi though.

It hadn't been like this at the start though. When he'd heard that the Lion Guard would be created, he had actually thought of them as a threat to their food source and had every intention of disrupting them. That time, when they had attacked the herd, had been one of the few rare times Kion had used the roar on them in earnest. He'd even permanently banished them from the Pridelands. But now? Now he didn't even bother to chase hem all the way back to the Outlands. And that right there was proof enough that on some level Kion wanted him –them- around. What Kion really thought and why was a mystery to Janja though. His best guess was that Kion thought their… tacit understanding… was somehow part of the Circle of Life. So foolish.

Still, it hadn't taken long for them –his clan and Kion's Guard- to fall into a sort of pattern. A pattern that was both repetitive yet also different every time. It was familiar yet new but above all else it was exciting- no _exhilarating_. And that was why Janja kept going back to the Pridelands. That's why sometimes he didn't even bother hiding his presence or why he didn't even care if they returned from their endeavour with nothing to show for it. Because it was fun.  
It had stopped being about food a long time ago (again, he couldn't vouch for Chungu and Cheezi). Of course he still loved to eat. Of course he made sure his clan had plenty to survive. Unlike what those lions liked to think he did take care of his clan. And the clan took care of each other. While Kion had his Guard on the lookout for him, Janja had his clanmates hunt elsewhere in the Pridelands for food. The Guard was only five animals after all. So even if they caught nothing at all, there was still something to eat back at their cave. But more food was always better of course. Why shouldn't they eat more if they can catch more? Really, if you asked him the Circle of Life was just an excuse to hide behind for incompetent hunters.

Nobody ever asked him though.

It was all rather hypocrite too. It was easy for Kion to preach about the Circle of Life day in and out. He was just a cub, a male lion cub at that. There wasn't a doubt in Janja's mind that Kion had never hunted for himself before. He'd never made a kill. Perhaps if he had he wouldn't feel so secure about his ideals. Janja didn't believe in going to such lengths to save your own dinner when you could just let it die and have a meal. Unless it was saving food for later… Okay, Janja didn't actually believe in that either. If they wouldn't get chased out immediately he wouldn't even bother taking his prey to the Outlands first. He'd just eat it where he'd killed it. Alone or together with his clan. But then again, if they didn't get chased out that would mean there was no Lion Guard. Things would be much easier for his clan and the vultures alike. No Kion to show up just when they were in the middle of the hunt, ordering his guard to take care of Chungu and Cheezi and any other hyenas he might've brought while Kion would take on Janja. Kion always took on Janja personally. He found this very amusing. Yes, it would be easier, but where's the fun in that?

"Hyenas!" And here they were again. Kion, with his Guard, facing them, a challenge in his eyes. As if he was daring Janja to stay and resist. And himself, grinning and laughing, mere moments away from initiating a tactical retreat.

"Why hiya Kion!"

Or should he take Kion up on that offer and stick around just a little while longer?

"Janja! Stay away from the herd!"

Either way they both knew that before long they would meet like this again. They always did.

"Now why would I do that, little lion cub?"

And honestly?

"Lion Guard, spread out! Leave Janja to me."

He wouldn't want it any other way.

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 **This was Janja's side. Next is Kion's!  
**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Kion

*** _Impatiently waiting for the next TLG episode_ ***

 **Remember: I still don't own a thing!**

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Belly full, Kion trudged into the Guard's lair where he had agreed to meet up with the others once they had all eaten. He was the first back it seemed. Which made sense he assumed since he did live close by. So far the day had been rather slow and peaceful with the only real incident being a rabbit that had somehow gotten stuck in its burrow. Kion had no clue how that was even possible but luckily the situation had been easy to fix. Some zebras had gotten lost as well but Kion wasn't even sure whether that had really warranted the entire Guard to act. Or if it even fell under his duty as guardian of the Circle of Life. Sometimes the reasons they were called out for were a bit… questionable, to say the least.

To pass the time Kion looked around the lair at Rafiki's paintings which depicted numerous rescues that the Lion Guard had performed in the past. A large majority of them depicted the exact same everyday situations that Kion and his Guard encountered. He'd never say it out loud but sometimes, just sometimes, Kion found himself thinking that some animals only had themselves to blame for the messes they were in...  
He didn't like the part of him that thought like that.

He scanned the cave walls some more. A few paintings showed what looked like a large full-on battle. Kion shivered. He was glad it had never come to that in his lifetime and he hoped it would stay that way. It made him appreciate peaceful days like these. Yet still… a _little_ excitement wouldn't hurt. Not for the first time he found himself wishing there was an hyena attack so the Guard could go and stop it. If his father ever found out he _wanted_ the Pridelands to be attacked he'd most certainly disapprove. And that was an serious understatement. Kion couldn't help it though. Out of everything the Guard did nothing was as exciting as chasing the hyenas out of the Pridelands. He knew they were a threat, he knew he shouldn't wish for them to come back, he knew they didn't care about the Circle of Life – the very thing he had vowed to protect- and he knew that that made them his greatest enemy. But for some reason he just couldn't consider him – _them_ , them- as such. Therefore he couldn't bring himself to use the Roar on them anymore either. Part of him was afraid it would turn him into Scar but then again even if he was absolutely certain it wouldn't he didn't think he would use the Roar on him anyway. Kion had a feeling that on some level Janja knew this as well. Though what the hyena leader was really thinking was a mystery to him.

"Kion! Come quick!"

Startled out of his thoughts he ran outside to find Fuli waiting for him. "What's wrong?"

"Imminent hyena attack on the zebras." The words had barely left her mouth when laughter resounded from the distance. Kion would recognize that laugh anywhere.

 _Janja._

Kion suppressed a smile. "Where are the others?"

"Present, Kion." Ono called as he landed next to Fuli. "I saw Beshte and sent him ahead."

"Good work, Ono. Go and check the hyenas' movements. Report once we get there."

"Affirmative."

"Fuli," Kion carried on when Ono flew off, "get Bunga and meet us at the zebras' grazing grounds." The cheetah nodded and sped off. Excitement fizzing in his paws, Kion ran off as well. His heart pounding so loudly he was sure Janja could hear him approach already. His mind raced with the possible confrontations they might have when he got there. Would it be a stand-off? Or would Kion be able to sneak up on him? Or maybe he could burst in unannounced and chase him off? Would Janja fight back or flee immediately? The prospects simply delighted Kion. He highly doubted the rest of the Guard would agree though. Well, except maybe Bunga if he got to do something very _zuka zama_.

He increased his pace, running as fast as he could but still he was the last to arrive. Not that he had expected any different. Fuli was the fastest for a reason. Beshte, Fuli and Bunga greeted him from the hill where they were waiting. He could see Ono circling in the air a little further away. He looked down and spotted Janja, Chungu and Cheezi hiding in the bushes, observing the zebra herd. They weren't hiding very well. Kion was sure they could do better than that. They had done better than that. But he had noticed that sometimes Janja didn't even seem to bother hiding. I mean why did he laugh so loud when they hadn't even begin chasing the herd? The hyena leader was smarter than that. Again, a thought he would never voice out loud and another one his Guard probably disagreed with. That was fine though, they didn't have to agree with him on everything. That's not what being a team was all about anyway. Briefly, he wondered if Janja's clan always agreed with him.

"They haven't started hunting yet." Beshte remarked. Kion nodded but his attention remained on the hyenas below.

"Ono!" He called and his keenest of sight landed next to him. "How's the herd?"

"Haven't noticed a thing."

"Good. Let's keep it that way. We don't want them to panic."

"And run." Fuli added dryly.

"Right." Kion replied with a small laugh. "Okay, this is the plan. Bunga and Beshte, you two take care of Chungu and Cheezi. Ono, keep an eye on the herd. If they start to suspect something, call for Fuli and try and keep them calm. Fuli, unless Ono calls for you, help Bunga and Beshte. Wait for my signal to-"

" _Hapana_! Kion, Janja spotted us." Ono reported. Kion looked back to the hyenas. Chungu and Cheezi were still watching the herd but Janja had turned and was staring straight at them. Kion felt a shiver run along his spine. His paws were itching to run down there. "Follow me."

"Hyenas!" He yelled as he stormed down the hill with his Guard right behind him. He could see Janja grinning as they approached and Kion was overwhelmed by how _right_ this entire situation felt. As if being here was their entire purpose; their place in the Circle of Life.

"Why hiya Kion!"

And they both knew that no matter what happened now, they would meet like this again and again and again.

"Janja! Stay away from the herd!"

He knew his Guard wouldn't agree. He knew his family wouldn't agree. He knew _he_ _shouldn't_ agree.

"Now why would I do that, little lion cub?"

But _hevi kabisa_!

"Lion Guard, spread out! Leave Janja to me."

He wouldn't want it any other way.

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 **And that was Kion's side!**

 **Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!**


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